The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-12-15

bills passed the House. In the Senate
it's final consideration was postponed
until the. present session of that body.
The latter measure was not pressed
for. reasons which appeared sufficient.
We are firmly convinced of the i'm
p~ortance of these measures and of the
great auxiliary help which they will
give to the agriculture of the State,
and they should be no longer post
poned. 1t is needless to discuss these
or their merits. Enough has been
said through the press during the past
year to establish them in the minds Of
all of our people who are not utterly
blinded by ~self-conceit, dogmatism or
a spirit Of opposition to progress. In
deed there seems to be left very little
question of the merits Of the measures
proposed, and the opponents, finding
themselves without argument, would
defeat their enactment by Earring the
sensitive nerve, the pocket. If it
were necessary, gentlemen, it could be
pointed out how it is. possible to inau-
gurate these measures without adding
to the burdens of the people or de-
tracing from the efficiency Of the
Government, but it would be presump-
tuous to do this to an intelligent Legis-
lature which will pass upon them. Can
a State which freely votes, perhaps
$25,OOO, for simple experimental
stations which affords a $4,000
office for one of it's servants, and such
souvenirs as he has been able to collect
around him !; which enjoys an annual
specific income from it's farmers Of
$2S, 600, from the National Govern
ment $1l, 500, and $4,000 for this
very purpose which alone of all the
States of this Union has an annual in
come from its waterways of over
5000, 900, and whose purse is so we'll
filled that it can afford delinquent
taxes to aggregate 1896, 900 whose
officers are so generously paid that
pending a canvass the average voter
is bewildered with the number and
richness of the the material offered for
the place; whose policy is to vote
thousands of dollars annually to edu-
cate boys other than those who would
engage in agriculture for the career of
life-can such a State plead inability
on the score of poverty? 1t is in
credible.
"Sustained as we are by the right
and having the moral support of the
people at large, let us deliberate with
calmness and moderation but with
earnestness, and leave our conclusions
and claims with those who have been
elected to position to carry out the
wishes of the people,"
The Convention adopted a platform
of principles, from which we extract
the following:
lst. The Convention endorses the
establishment of a separate agricul-
tural college and the reorganization
of the agricultural bureau. Referred
to committee on resolutions.
I'd. 1t is not the purpose of the
farmers to make this Convention a
political body. 1t is not intended to
attack the integrity of the State off
Gals. Nor to dictate to the Legisla-
ture.
Sd. The farmers movement is or
gained with the sole object of develop
ing the u of the State and
advancing its agricultural interests.
4th. Regret is expressed at the &C
ton of some of the counties in declin-
ing to send delegates to this Conven-
ton. All farmers are invited to join us.
5th. The reorganization of the
agricultural department is desired and
the Legislature is respectfully asked
to give their serious consideration to
the bill already introduced looking to
that end.
The Convention invited the Board
of Trustees of the State University to
confer with it on the subject of agri-
cultural education, and Judge Haskell
came before the body and delivered an
address, from which we quote the fol-
lowing:
"Our report submits now to the
General Assembly a wide. university
scheme, which will have in one college
all and more than all which was ever
contained in the South Carolina Col
lege. 1t will be a college of agricul-
tural and mechanical art which will
equal any college Of agriculture or
mechanical art now in operation in